title: Calmodulin is involved in membrane depolarization-mediated survival of motoneurons by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase- and MAPK-independent pathways.
abstract: In the present work, we find that the elevation of extracellular K+ concentration promotes the survival of chick spinal cord motoneurons in vitro deprived of any neurotrophic support. This treatment induces chronic depolarization of the neuronal plasma membrane, which activates L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, resulting in Ca2+ influx and elevation of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration. Pharmacological reduction of intracellular free Ca2+ or withdrawal of extracellular Ca2+ reversed the effects of depolarization on survival. The intracellular Ca2+ response to membrane depolarization developed as an initial peak followed by a sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The depolarizing treatment caused tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) without involving tyrosine kinase receptor activation. The calmodulin antagonist W13 inhibited the survival-promoting effect induced by membrane depolarization but not the tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPK. Moreover, depolarization did not induce phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K) phosphorylation in our cells, and the PI-3K inhibitor wortmannin did not suppress the survival-promoting effect of K+ treatment. These results suggest that calmodulin is involved in calcium-mediated survival of motoneurons through the activation of PI-3K- and MAPK-independent pathways.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Neurobiologia Molecular, Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Egea
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mintenig
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanz-Rodriguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Comella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology; D008566:Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011188:Potassium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002147:Calmodulin; D003470:Culture Media; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011188:Potassium; D014443:Tyrosine